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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24030196">Seven</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmeliaDarkholme/pseuds/AmeliaDarkholme'>AmeliaDarkholme</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, F/M, M/M, On Hiatus</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 02:29:02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>11,203</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24030196</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmeliaDarkholme/pseuds/AmeliaDarkholme</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"It's just a dream, Albus. It's all just a dream, love. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. I'll never leave you."</p><p>“I know. I believe you. I trust you. I love you.”</p><p>And Albus let himself being lulled back to sleep, safe and loved in Gellert’s arms.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aberforth Dumbledore &amp; Albus Dumbledore &amp; Ariana Dumbledore, Albus Dumbledore/Gellert Grindelwald, Dumbledore Siblings &amp; Gellert Grindelwald</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>52</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is an AU, sort of based on the one-shot I posted a few months ago – <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22690927">They Could Have Been a Family</a>. In this story, Credence is not a long lost child of the Dumbledore family, and McGonagall is not a teacher in 1927, and Gellert’s eyes are normal blue instead of heterochromic like in the movies. That’s all, I guess. I’ll let you go now. I hope you guys like it. Happy reading!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>  </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em>“No, no, no… Ariana, wake up, sister. Sweetheart, it’s me. It’s Abe.”</em>  </p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Aberforth, step aside. Let me help. Let me—“</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><em>“NO! Haven’t you done enough, brother? Look at what you’ve done! Look, Albus! Ariana’s </em>dead<em>, and it’s all because of that bastard!”</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“I know, Abe. I know. And I’m sorry. I really am.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><em>“Your apologies won’t bring </em>my <em>sister back, Albus. But </em>that’s <em>what you want, isn’t it? You want to be free of her. And you now you have it.”</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Abe, brother—“</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“You may not be the one who cast the spell, Albus. But you might as well.”</em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <em>“Don’t listen to him, Albus. That idiot doesn’t know what he’s – “</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“That idiot, Gellert, is my brother. I suggest you refrain yourself from calling him names.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Albus—“</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Leave. Please.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><em>“No… Albus, come on. Don’t do this. Come with me, Al. </em>Please.<em> We’ll…we’ll find the Hallows together, and then we’ll bring your sister back. Everything we’ll be okay as long as we’re togther. I promise.”</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“You know what, Gellert. I can see it now. You never really care about me do you.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><em>“What? </em>No!<em> I do, Al. I really—“</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Stupid Albus. Naïve Albus. I’m no more than a means to an end to you, aren’t I? But you are even more of a fool than I am if you think I can trust you after all of this.”</em>
</p><hr/><p><em>“Now, it pains me to say it because, well, I don’t like you. But, you </em>are<em> the only wizard who is his equal. I need you to fight him.”</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“I can’t.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Because of this?”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Two young men. Both too great for the world to handle. Too bright. Too brilliant.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><em>And so, </em>so<em> in love.</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>At least, one of them was.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“You and Grindewald were as close as brothers.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>A slight flicker of pain in clear blue eyes, and then, “Oh, we were closer than brothers.”</em>
</p><hr/><p>“<em>Come to kill me at last, Albus?”</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“I’d hoped that it wouldn’t come to that.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><em>“Is that so? Well, that’s too bad, </em>darling<em>. You’d have to pry this Wand from my cold, dead body.”</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Gellert, please. We don’t have to do this. Come with me. You still have a chance.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Come with– come with you– HOW DARE YOU ASK ME TO COME WITH YOU, WHEN YOU WOULDN’T DO THE SAME FOR ME FORTY SIX YEARS AGO!”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“I’m sorry, Gellert. I was wrong. I made a mistake.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Then, you’re on your way to make another one, Albus dear.”</em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <em>“Severus…”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Another blond boy he failed to save.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><em>Another child forced to pay for </em>his <em>sins.</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Severus, please…”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Avada Kedavra!”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Another mistake that destroyed lives.</em>
</p><hr/><p>Albus woke up panting. His heart was beating so fast in his chest, and there was a lump in his throat when he tried to swallow. He heard someone sobbing, but it took him awhile to realise that it was <em>his </em>own voice. He was trembling, his whole body was shaking so hard it was a miracle his old bones hadn't rattled like a bloody maracas. When he felt familiar arms wrapped around him, pulling him into a comforting hug, Albus calmed down a little. There was a hand buried deep into his damp hair, and another one went under his shirt to stroke his back, the touch felt soothing against his clammy, aging skin. There were lips pressed against his temple, before they went all over his face to kiss away his tears tenderly. Then, he felt hot breath blowing into his ear, and a soft humming was heard. But after sometime, once he’d calmed down even more and could concentrate better, he realised it wasn’t exactly a humming. He heard words, spoken in the softest and most caring voice he could ever imagine, filled with so much <em>love </em>that he didn’t think was possible.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s just a dream, Albus. It’s all just a dream, love. A nightmare. I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll never leave you. I’ll never hurt you. I promise. I promise. I <em>promise</em>…”</p><p> </p><p>“I know,” Albus replied, even though he pressed himself closer against the man he loved so much. “I believe you. I trust you. <em>I love you</em>.”</p><p> </p><p>“And I you, Albus. Till the end of time.”</p><p> </p><p>And Albus let himself being lulled back to sleep, promises of forever rang assuringly in his ears.</p><p> </p><p>Safe and <em>loved </em>in Gellert’s arms.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. It Began with Four</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Soooo, when I first read DH, I had this really clear image of how I wanted young Albus and Gellert to look like. I love Toby Regbo and Jamie Campbell Bowers as young Albus and Gellert respectively, but the image I had in my mind for them stuck with me for years. One day, I was talking to my sister about this, when we both agreed that Alex Vlahos in the series 'Versailles' fit the Albus I've always had in mind, and Ben Hardy in 'The Woman in White' fit the image I always have for Gellert. So yeah, I love Toby and Jamie, but for this story, I'm going to picture Alex and Ben because 1) I have always pictured Albus to be taller than Gellert, and 2) it is canon that Albus is older than Gellert. Feel free to picture whoever you want though :) And oh, just in case you guys are wondering, for Aberforth I choose Joe Alwyn and for Ariana it's Saoirse Ronan. Oh wow, that was long. Well, I suppose I'll let you go now. Happy reading!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>To him, it felt like everything moved in slow motion.</p><p> </p><p>Albus was in the middle of his discussion with Gellert about the search for the Hallows, when Aberforth came marching into the backyard, eyes blazing with unimaginable fury as he yelled insults and accusations at Albus. The older of the Dumbledore siblings were too stunned to fight back, especially when he knew, in the back of his mind, how <em>true </em>his brother’s words were. Then Gellert, who had always hated Aberforth and had been looking for a reason to show his dislike toward Albus’ brother, started to yell back at the younger Dumbledore. Before Albus knew it, the yelling got louder and louder by the second, so loud it was that he had no doubt the neighbours ten blocks away from their house could hear exactly what was being said. He did nothing though. He was too much of a fool, of a <em>coward, </em>to join the screaming match and put a stop to it. And a part of him was too proud to admit that his little brother, his <em>less</em> impressive little brother, was right this time. That Aberforth, the one who no one really paid attention to, was clearly much smarter than Albus, who was often too blinded by his ego and his blind trust in Gellert to see the truth.</p><p> </p><p>But then he felt <em>it.</em></p><p> </p><p>He felt the shift in the air, all that power that both young wizards had crackling like barely contained fire, powered by the hate and fury both boys had for each other. And when Albus saw how Gellert’s middle finger reached for his wand from under his long-sleeve, how Aberforth’s hand flew toward the pocket of his robes for his own wand, the brilliant young wizard knew he <em>had </em>to move. He knew that if he let either of them cast the first magic, there would be hell to pay. He knew that if he didn’t stop the boy he’d grown to love in an extremely short time, and the brother he should have tried harder to love since they were kids, the feminine figure peeking from behind the back door that he knew to be his sister would have to pay the price instead. So Albus, who had never done anything foolish in his life, not even when he was still a toddler and couldn’t tell the difference between chocolate and his own filth, stepped calmly between Gellert and Aberforth, a determined look in his blue eyes as he stared down at Gellert’s wand and leaned his back against Aberforth’s.</p><p> </p><p>“If you want to kill each other,” he began slowly, his bright eyes looking deeply into Gellert’s pale ones as he ignored the feeling of Aberforth’s wand on his back. “You’ll have to kill me first. Because I’m not moving.”</p><p> </p><p>“Brother, don’t be stupid,” Aberforth snapped impatiently, even as Albus felt him lowering his wand a little bit. “If I don’t kill this manipulative bastard, he’ll <em>destroy </em>you<em>.</em> He doesn’t care about you, Albus. He never does, and he never will.”</p><p> </p><p>Gellert’s eyes flashed dangerously in anger. “You insolent, pathetic, excuse of a – “</p><p> </p><p>“Gellert, if you hurt my brother, I will never forgive you,” Albus interjected, pushing his face in Gellert’s line of sight so the other brilliant wizard could focus on him. “I will have to ask you to leave and never come to me ever again. But I really, <em>really </em>don’t want that to happen. I really don’t. I care about you, Gellert. So please, don’t do anything that we all will regret. Don’t break this beautiful, valuable bond we have.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, you listen to that, you basta – “</p><p> </p><p>“The same goes for you, Abe,” Albus said without looking at his brother. He had to maintain eye-contact with Gellert because he knew, out of the two boys, Gellert was the most unpredictable. “I know you don’t like me, but if you <em>ever </em>consider me as your brother, don’t hurt Gellert.”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>What?</em> But he’s the one – “</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Aberforth.</em>”</p><p> </p><p>Albus knew he took a huge risk when he turned his head slightly in Aberforth’s way so he could look at his brother. Aberforth was glaring heatedly at him, closing and opening his mouth as his mind searched for an argument. Albus was sure that his brother was about to yell at him again, when he felt small, smooth hand slipped into his own. His breath caught in his throat as he turned to look at his sister, who was smiling shyly at him. In the year that he took care of her, Ariana never initiated an interaction with him, even if it was only to brush her fingers against his. But here she was, holding his hand tightly, a timid smile on her face even though there was determination in her hazel eyes</p><p> </p><p>“Albie’s right,” the young girl said, and the use of Albus’ old childhood nickname made his heart swell with so much love for his sister, he wanted nothing more than to hug her. Using her free hand to hold on Aberforth’s, she continued. “No more fighting, Abe. Fighting will only cause pain, remember? Mum told us that many times. We are family. And family don’t hurt each other.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ari—“</p><p> </p><p>“You too, Gellert,” Ariana said, turning her attention on the blond, surprising her brothers. “I know you’ve been so alone all these years. I can feel that. I can feel <em>you.</em> I can feel the Darkness in your heart. It’s nothing like mine, of course, but it hurts all the same.”</p><p> </p><p>Gellert, for his part, looked taken aback. “I’m sorry. I beg you pardon?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s obvious that you care about my brother,” Ariana continued, slowly getting more confident. “But you have to understand that, even if he doesn’t realise it yet, Albus cares about me and Aberforth. You <em>can’t </em>make him choose between the three of us. But it’s because you don’t have to. Albus has enough love for us all, if only you’ll take his hand and join our family.”</p><p> </p><p>Ariana then let go of Albus’ hand and nudged it toward Gellert. When Aberforth opened his mouth to interject, Ariana quickly pulled her brother back into the house, speaking softly to the hot-headed Dumbledore that he should leave their older brother alone with their blond guest. Albus waited for half a minute to make sure that his siblings had truly left, before he turned his attention to Gellert. The blond still looked shaken by Ariana’s words, and Albus took it as a good sign. It meant that there was still hope yet, and that he didn’t have to lose Gellert. Hoping that his siblings weren’t watching from the windows upstairs, Albus stepped closer toward his friend, and clasped his hand gently around Gellert’s hand that was still holding his wand, keeping his eyes on the younger boy’s pale blue ones. Carefully, he plucked out Gellert’s wand and put it into the blond’s pocket. Then, he brought the Gellert’s hand to his lips, pressing soft and gentle kisses, starting from his knuckles to the tips of his fingers. When Gellert let out a shaky breath, and wrapped his free hand around Albus’ waist, the redhead knew he’d done it.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>He’d saved Gellert.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“After Aberforth graduates,” Albus whispered, his heart hammering in his chest. He wished, he hoped, he <em>prayed </em>that Gellert would take his offer. That Gellert would understand. He pressed Gellert’s hand to his face and leaned forward until his lips grazed the blond’s ear. “I promise, after Aberforth graduates, I’ll go with you to find the Hallows. We’ll go anywhere, as long as we come back here, to <em>our </em>family, every Christmas.”</p><p> </p><p>The seven seconds Gellert took to answer feel like seven <em>years </em>to Albus.</p><p> </p><p>And yes. He counted them.</p><p> </p><p>“Alright,” Gellert said stiffly, but it was more than enough. “After Aberforth graduates.”</p><p> </p><p>Albus nodded, his cheeks pulled into a gigantic smile as he let out a faint laugh. A huge burden was lifted off him, a burden that he didn’t know he’d carried. Wrapping both of his arms around Gellert, he didn’t even care if his siblings were watching when he buried his face in Gellert’s neck, breathing in his familiar scent deeply until his lungs felt like exploding.</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you, Gellert,” Albus whispered softly. “Thank you very much. Oh, how you make me happy, my dear. Thank you. Thank you.”</p><p> </p><p><em>(And I love you.</em>)</p><p> </p><p>Gellert didn’t say anything else. He merely nodded his head as a reply, still as stiff and awkward as ever, even as he followed Albus back into the house, where they found Ariana and Aberforth were preparing dinner. Albus could feel how Gellert almost literally fought the urge to run away, saw the way his eyes fluttered around restlessly, his fingers twitching in Albus’ hold. But he didn’t leave. He <em>stayed.</em> That was all that mattered. Albus didn’t care that Gellert seemed to inch away from Ariana, who casually took a seat beside him through out dinner, as if she’d always done that. Albus didn’t even mind that Gellert still glared venomously at Aberforth, who glared right back just as murderously. After all, it was a new beginning for all of them. It would take time, but Albus believed that everything would change for the better. He knew it. He could feel it.</p><p> </p><p>Gellert had taken his hand, accepted Albus’ <em>love, </em>and had joined his little family.</p><p> </p><p>Albus’ family of three had become a family of four.</p><hr/><p>“<em>AL, DON’T BE ALARMED. NOTHING’S WRONG. I JUST RAN OUT OF NORMAL PARCHMENT, AND WHEN I ASKED YOUR BROTHER FOR SOME, BLOODY PRAT GAVE ME THE PARCHMENT FOR A HOWLER INSTEAD. PRICK. ANYWAY, I THOUGHT I SHOULD LET YOU KNOW THAT I GOT SORTED IN SLYTHERIN. IT’S THE HOUSE OF THE GREAT MERLIN, WASN’T IT? THE HOUSE SUITS ME, EVEN THOUGH I WONDER WHY THE HOUSE FOR SO MANY PRETENTIOUS PUREBLOODS IS LOCATED IN THE DUNGEON. IT’S RIDICULOUSLY DARK IN HERE, AND COLD. LIKE REALLY COLD. I’M SLOWLY STARTING TO REGRET MY DECISION TO FINISH SCHOOL. I CAN’T BELIEVE I ACTUALLY HAVE TWO MORE YEARS TO GO. I ONLY KNOW YOUR BROTHER IN THIS WHOLE SCHOOL, AND I’M NOT DESPERATE ENOUGH TO BEFRIEND – “</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“HEY MATE, DO YOU MIND? SOME OF US ARE TRYING TO SLEEP HERE.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT… WELL, DARLING, YOU HEARD IT, DIDN’T YOU? I HAVE TO GO NOW. I’LL WRITE MORE TOMORROW. HOPEFULLY, WITH A PROPER PARCHMENT. NIGHT, AL.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Amusement glinted in Albus’ blue eyes as the Howler burst into flames, even though he couldn’t help the embarrassment he felt when he began to process what Gellert had just called him in front of his roommates. Beside him, Ariana was stifling back a giggle, her hazel eyes glinted in the same mischief that Albus remembered seeing <em>many </em>years ago in their late mother’s eyes back when their father was still around. “I don’t know what to belief, really,” Ariana said awhile later, a small smile on her face. “That Aberforth gave Gellert the Howler parchments, <em>or </em>that Gellert intentionally sent you a Howler just for the fun of it.”</p><p> </p><p>“I reckon the latter is more correct,” Albus replied. “He’s actually a very humourous person, once you really get to know him.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sure he is. I’d really like to get to know him better, brother.”</p><p> </p><p>It was only after he heard what his sister said that Albus realised what he’d let slipped. Clearing his throat as he pushed Ariana’s breakfast toward her, he awkwardly asked, “You would? I mean, in all the times he came to visit, he ignored you.”</p><p> </p><p>Ariana nodded. “Sure. I was serious when I offered him to join our family, you know. I didn’t mean that it would only be you. I meant <em>all of us</em>; me and Aberforth too. Of course, it would take our tempramental brother sometime to accept Gellert. But maybe, now that they both went to Hogwarts together, they’d get along better.”</p><p> </p><p>Ariana’s words warmed his heart. All his life, Albus had always lived in a bubble around his siblings. Ever since they lost their father, he became afraid that he was going to lose another member of his family. So Albus put walls between them, to protect his heart from the love he knew he would feel for them. He knew his mother did the same thing. He learned it from her after all. It was why he didn’t feel at all guilty for distancing himself from his mother. With Ariana, it was more or less the same, except for the fact that he wasn’t really close with her in the first place, what with the age gap between them. His brother though, was a whole other story.</p><p> </p><p>Albus remembered a time when they were children, and the two of them used to be very close. A time when Aberforth would hold his hand as the younger Dumbledore introduced Albus to his goats, a beaming smile on his face as he told a grinning Albus all the goats’ names. So when he pushed Aberforth away, it was inevitable for Albus to feel immensely guilty. But he was never good with emotions, so he did the only logical thing he could think of—he pushed Aberforth even further away, until he couldn’t reach him anymore. Albus realised that Ariana had helped him to have a second chance, to make things right with the remaining members of his family. He could hear his father’s reprimanding voice in the back of his mind already, for neglecting them in the first place.</p><p> </p><p>So, before he could allow himself to feel embarrassed, Albus reached to his right and pulled Ariana into a long, overdue hug. If it caught her off guard, the girl handled it really well and easily returned his hug, as if it was something they did regularly.</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you,” he muttered into her blonde head. “Thank you for helping me become brave. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s not true,” the girl countered, her voice sounded a little muffled against his chest. “You made the first move, Al. You took a brave step, and stood between them. I merely supported you.”</p><p> </p><p>“And that’s all I needed, really. Without you, I don’t think I could convince those two idiots.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, you know what Aunt Honoria said all those years ago, back when F-Father was still with us. ‘There are simply too many stupid men in this house, and less intelligent women’.”</p><p> </p><p>For the first time in years, Albus laughed genuinely as he remembered that time their mother’s older sister came to visit. Honoria Smythe was a force to be reckon with, and the total opposite of her sister Kendra in many ways than one. Loud while her sister was quiet, transparent while her sister was mysterious, and blond while her sister was brunette, the younger Smythe woman was actually very much like Aberforth in terms of attitude. It was probably why they got along quite well. The last time she visited was when Percival was still around, which was several years before she passed away from dragon-pox. Albus was nine years old then. He didn’t really remember the details very well, but he remembered a screaming match he had with his then-seven-year-old brother. The fight went on for almost half an hour when their father, losing his temper, joined the match to shut them up. That was the scene Honoria walked into, which prompted her legendary remark about the number of gentlemen in the Dumbledore household as she threw a wink at her sister and niece. Embarrassed, all three Dumbledore males fell quiet in an instant, and it made both Kendra and Ariana laugh heartily.</p><p> </p><p>It was such a happy time.</p><p> </p><p>When Albus finally let go of his sister, he ruffled her hair affectionately and earned a sweet smile from her. Ariana then turned her attention on the empty plates and went to wash them. Albus offered to help her, but the girl adamantly refused, telling him that he didn’t need to treat her like a fragile child anymore. The older Dumbledore relented, and sat back in his seat. He waved his wand to Summon his research papers on the Hallows, intending to continue his and Gellert’s work even though the blond wasn’t there. He kept an eye on his sister though, just in case Ariana broke a plate. He wasn’t exactly worried about the broken plate, but more about what it would do to Ariana’s emotions. He knew how easily she could relapse when she was upset, no matter how trivial the cause was. But he told himself to have faith, repeating it countlessly in his head that Ariana was a big girl now, and that she could handle a little bit  of responsibility. Aberforth would have argued if he was there, but he <em>wasn’t, </em>so it was all up to Albus.</p><p> </p><p>He was in the middle of his reading, and wasn’t completely aware of how much time had passed, when he felt a shift in the air, coming from Ariana. At first, he became alert in an instant, his heart started to beat fast in his chest. But then he noticed that the magic he felt—<em>Ariana’s magic—</em>didn’t feel like it usually did. There was no Darkness to it, no danger. It was just <em>there.</em> Curious, Albus took a risk and closed his eyes so he could focus more on sensing Ariana’s magic. He took a few calming breaths to center himself, clearing his thoughts of everything but the hum of his sister’s magic. That was when he saw it, <em>literally.</em> In the darkness of his closed eyelids, Ariana’s magic shone brightly in icy-grey. He reached out toward it, picturing in his mind the purple of his magic approaching his sister’s. The magic felt cold, and Albus’ magic almost recoiled from it. But he made sure to stand his ground, and after sometime, the coldness dulled. That was when Albus decided to open his eyes, to see what exactly was happening.</p><p> </p><p>And found Ariana covered in the familiar black smoke of her Obscurial form.</p><p> </p><p>Everything in his being told Albus to aggresively approach the situation. His hand itched to cast the Patronus charm so he could contain his sister’s magic. It was something that his mother had taught him when she was still alive and he’d just gotten home for his sixth-year Christmas break. She asked him quietly whether he could produce the Patronus charm already, and when he said yes, she proceeded to tell him that if there ever came a time that she wouldn’t be around when Ariana had a relapse, the action Albus should take was to cast the Patronus charm so he could force the Darkness back inside her. He hadn’t ever had to use it in the three months he looked after his sister, although the spell was constantly at the tip of his tongue whenever he was around his sister. But now that he was presented with a situation which he <em>knew </em>he would have to do it, he found himself unable to. Even though the Patronus charm was one of the purest white magic ever known, Albus couldn’t help himself but to find it a bit cruel to use it to control Ariana’s magic. So, once again, he took a leap of faith and put away his wand, and slowly made his way toward his sister.</p><p> </p><p>“Ari, dear?” he said softly, taking extra care to make sure his voice was neutral.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, Al?” the blonde replied, turning away from the dishes to look at him. Tendrils of black smoke surrounded her like a sinister halo, and Albus noted grimly that her eyes had turned white.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you feeling alright?”</p><p> </p><p>Blond head nodded up and down. “I am. I feel great, actually. Happy. Peaceful.”</p><p> </p><p><em>So, definitely not murderous,</em> Albus said silently in his head.</p><p> </p><p>“Hm,” the redhead hummed, tapping his index finger on his lip in contemplation. “Do you think you can elaborate on it? Tell me how do you feel right now.”</p><p> </p><p>Ariana frowned and slowly, she turned back to normal. “I—yeah Yes, I can. B-but why?”</p><p> </p><p>“Just…do it? Please? I’ll explain later.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, um. Okay.” Ariana paused, still confused but she relented at last. “I guess I feel…at home? And that makes me feel happy. To finally be at home. In fact, I’ve <em>never </em>felt like this before. I-it’s a little weird. But a good one. Do you…do you understand?”</p><p> </p><p>Oh, he <em>definitely </em>understood.</p><p> </p><p>Albus felt it every time he looked into Gellert’s eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“You feel like you belong,” Albus said instead of giving a proper answer. “For the first time ever, you no longer feel like a freak of nature. And the feeling, the realisation that you <em>finally </em>are a part of something, brings you piece. Isn’t that right?”</p><p> </p><p>Ariana’s face flushed red as she nodded her head for the second time that day, this time shyly. “Yes. That’s true. That’s exactly what I feel.”</p><p> </p><p>“Right. Very well then.”</p><p> </p><p>Albus waved his wand and sent his research-papers away. Then, he headed off toward the back door and beckoned his sister to follow him to the backyard. Once they were outside, Albus erected powerful walls of Protection charms all around him and Ariana, creating a dome that locked them from everything else. He wasn’t taking any chances of accidentally causing harm if any of their neighbours had accidentally walked passed their house. Noticing what Albus had done, Ariana asked him what he was planning. The redhead didn’t immediately answer her. He tilted his head to the side and looked at his sister up and down. He felt another shift in the air, but this time, he knew what it was. Ariana might not realise it yet, but her magic was ready. It was ready to come out and play with Albus.</p><p> </p><p>And Albus was ready to entertain it.</p><p> </p><p>“Brother?” Ariana said, fear colouring her tone as she watched Albus pulled out his wand. A part of him felt guilty, but he knew it was for the better good.</p><p> </p><p>At least, that was what Ariana’s magic told him.</p><p> </p><p>“Get ready, sister,” Albus said, a mischievous grin on his face. “I’m going to teach you how to control your magic.”</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Dear Albus,</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>I’m so very pleased, and honoured, that you trust me enough to tell me about this. And before I go on reprimanding you for being so uncharacteristically foolish, I have to say how your accomplishment amazes me. As you know already, the last Obscurus recorded in history was over two hundred years ago, who died at the age of ten. Far more experienced wizards than you have tried, and lost their lives because of it, to try to control an Obscurus. What you and your sister managed to do is nothing short of miraculous. If you don’t mind, I would like to meet Ariana one day. If you’ll allow me, that is.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><em>Now, on with my reprimanding. Merlin’s beard, Albus. Do you have any idea how I stayed awake for many nights worrying about you the past few days since your letter arrived? You spent two years ‘experimenting’</em> <em>on your sister, who is a powerful Obscurus from what I gather. I understand that she’s your sister, but it doesn’t change the fact that her magic is dangerous and unpredictable, young man. One little mistake, and both you and your sister could have died—you from her accidental magic, and her from being executed by the Ministry. Next time you’re thinking about risking your life for the ‘greater good’, as you have so nicely put, please let me know about it so I can smack some sense into your head.</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>About your request. I honestly don’t know whether I can help you with that. I’ve pulled enough strings to get your friend Mr Grindewald into Hogwarts last year. Don’t get me wrong, boy; I do want to help you. But I have no doubt that people are going to ask why did it take this long for you to send your sister to Hogwarts. And then, I’m afraid we’ll have to tell them the truth, which is really unadvisable. Therefore, I’m terribly sorry, but I don’t think I can let your sister attend Hogwarts. I can, however, ask Gervaise Ollivander to come over to your house in June with wands for your sister to choose. That’s the most I can do for you and young Ariana.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>On a much lighter note, I can perhaps alleviate your disappointment by telling you what’s happened between your friend and your brother. It would be an understatement of the century to say that the two didn’t get along at first. From their first morning, they’d had explosive fights that began with screaming matches to fierce duels. Young Gellert is easily a much better wizard than your brother, but Aberforth has many friends, and they all help him. The other professors and myself tried to conciliate them, of course, but most of the time it was to no avail. There were many times I worried that they would really kill each other. I’m not ashamed to admit that in these past two years I felt like I’d aged over a century because of both boys’ antics.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>However, something happened about a couple months ago. As per usual, even though I know that Gellert’s spent his summer with you and your family, he was still hostile toward your brother. And Aberforth was just as bad, if not worse. But then one day, it all changed. You see, some students found out about Gellert’s past, and easy to say, they didn’t like what the found. So about fifteen Seventh year students from the four Houses tried to attack him to show their dislike. And no matter how brilliant he is, fifteen people were simply too many for Gellert. I’ll leave the details for you to find yourself from those two, but it was actually Aberforth who helped Gellert. I have a feeling it has something to do with the how he preferred to be the one to make Gellert’s life hell.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>They probably wouldn’t be close friends anytime soon, but at least, I don’t think they would murder each other anymore.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>It’s nice to hear from you, Albus. You should write more. And please, don’t hesitate to ask anything you need from me, especially in regards to your sister.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Sincerely,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Professor A. Dippet</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“Brother, you’ve checked the letter several times already. You’ve even replied to Headmaster Dippet, and received another letter from him. I doubt it’s a prank. So, really, you really need to stop worrying about it.”</p><p> </p><p>“I told you not to read my mind, Ari,” Albus reprimanded gently as he focused his thoughts back to present time. With her Obscurus now under control, they both found that Ariana had <em>a lot </em>of untapped magical skills, one of them being Legillimency. It was something that the blonde still found hard to control, but she was slowly getting there, at least.</p><p> </p><p>And Albus was <em>so</em> proud of her.</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t!” Ariana insisted, looking mildly insulted at Albus’ accusation. “I promise, I didn’t use Legillimency on you. It’s just, you didn’t answer me when I called your name, and you had that look on your face whenever you were thinking about Gellert and Aberforth. So, it wasn’t hard for me to guess what was on your mind. You’re actually pretty transparent, you know.”</p><p> </p><p>Albus rolled his eyes even as he ruffled Ariana’s hair affectionately. “I don’t know whether to be amused or annoyed. But seeing that the Disastrous Duo are coming, I guess I have to make a good example and be nice to you.”</p><p> </p><p>Ariana stuck her tongue out at him as a reply, and it made Albus laugh. They were at King’s Cross Station, and it was the first time in eight years since her attack that Ariana went out of the house to join the society. At first, the girl was hesitant and nearly Transformed into her Obscurial form in panic when she noticed just how <em>crowded </em>the station was. But Albus knew that Ariana would do well. They had, after all, spent every day for two years training Ariana to control her Obscurial—except when Gellert and Aberforth were home. She refused to practise when both hot-headed boys were around, claiming that she wasn’t ready to have an audience.</p><p> </p><p>Albus, of course, agreed to her request. But it didn’t stop him from teaching Ariana theoretical magic, pushing books after books toward her during dinner, much to Aberforth’s dismay and Gellert’s curiosity. Both his brother and friend tried really hard to get it out of him about what he and Ariana had been doing. Aberforth’s efforts began with playing nice with Albus <em>and </em>Gellert, and ended with him yelling accusations at Albus when the older Dumbledore wouldn’t say a thing. Gellert’s efforts, on the other hand, began with him trying to <em>seduce</em> it all out of Albus, and ended with him brooding and avoiding Albus for a week straight when the redhead didn’t crack. Albus found it amusing, and would laugh at it with Ariana when they spent the night in her room discussing the magical theories that Ariana had learned.</p><p> </p><p>If there was something really good to come out from their training, other than the fact that Ariana was getting a better grip on her powers, was that Gellert had gotten really close as well with Ariana. Since he spent many days trying to get Albus to talk, in a way, he spent those days with Ariana too, because the girl followed Albus everywhere these days. The blond wizard was hesitant at first around Ariana, opting to listen quietly while she talked ceaselessly about practically everything. The first time he gave a reply to the youngest Dumbledore, albeit a little strained, was when Ariana asked him something about theoretical magic. Albus knew that the reason why Gellert was so brilliant was because he learned the theories in every branch of magic he learned. After all, that was how their friendship began, with both of them discussion theoretical magic. But he never thought that the blond would be interested in <em>explaining </em>it to someone else. Albus’ cheeks hurt from smiling whenever he watched Gellert slowly started to relax when he was with Ariana, talking animatedly as explained theoretical magic to the girl.</p><p> </p><p>The only person who were rather miffed about Ariana’s progress was Aberforth. Oh, there was no doubt that he was beyond happy to see how his sister was getting better. In fact, Albus often times found cookies and a cup of tea being left in front of his door, and a glimpse of Aberforth’s curly mop of red hair disappearing behind the door to his own room as he hastily left Albus’. It made the older Dumbledore’s heart warmed with so much love toward his brother for his attempts in conveying his gratitude. The reason why the Aberforth kept on brooding was because he was jealous of the newfound closeness Ariana found with both Albus and Gellert. It used to be only Aberforth and Ariana before, and it had been that way for years since Ariana’s attack. But then it all changed, and Aberforth feared that he would be left alone. Fortunately for all of them, Ariana seemed to be less emotionally inept than either Albus or Aberforth, and she quickly cleared things out with her tempramental brother. There were days when Aberforth was still a bit bitter about it, but Albus could tell that his brother was slowly accepting things better.</p><p> </p><p>After all, if there was anything Albus and Aberforth had in common, it was their love for their sister.</p><p> </p><p>“Ariana?” Aberforth’s voice came, snapping Albus out of his reverie. Turning his head toward the source of the voice, he saw his brother and Gellert making their toward them, both of them had a mixed look of confusion and anxiety.</p><p> </p><p>“Hello, Abe,” Ariana greeted in a small voice, lowering her head timidly as she leaned toward Albus for moral support. At Albus’ encouraging nod, Ariana went toward Aberforth to hug him, who took quite sometime to return it. “Aren’t you glad to see me?” Albus heard Ariana said when she pulled back, looking at their brother in worry.</p><p> </p><p>“I am,” Aberforth quickly said, flashing the girl a smile. “I am <em>really </em>glad that you’re here, picking me up after my final year. It’s just…”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re worried that I’ll lash out and hurt others like I did to Mother,” Ariana answered flatly, a grim look on her face as she took a step back toward Albus.</p><p> </p><p>Eyes widening in panic, Aberforth shook his head frantically when he quickly grabbed Ariana’s hand. “<em>No!</em> That’s not it, Ari. I’m serious. I mean, I <em>am </em>worried. But not like the way you think I am. I’m worried <em>for </em>you, sweetheart.”</p><p> </p><p>Ariana smiled, and judging by the way she brightened, Albus knew that she believed Aberforth. “It’s fine, Abe. I understand. I’m always worried of what I’m capable of myself. I’m <em>terrified </em>of what I’m capable of. Especially after I’ve spent hours with Albus practising.”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Practising?”</em> Gellert exclaimed, and Albus almost forgot that he was there, standing in silence beside Albus as he watched the siblings. “Does it have anything to do with how close the both of you have become in the past two years? <em>What </em>have you been doing anyway?”</p><p> </p><p>Albus and Ariana shared a look for a moment before he answered his friend. He didn’t even realise it when he had protectively pulled Ariana closer to him before he opened his mouth.</p><p> </p><p>“I helped her to control the Obscurus,” Albus said firmly, a slight challenge in his tone as he brought himself into his full height over his brother and friend. “It was a slow progress, and I know it’s probably still far from perfect, but it’s <em>working.</em>”</p><p> </p><p>As expected, both Gellert and Aberforth had different reactions regarding the news Albus just told them. Gellert, like Albus knew he would, looked proud and intrigued at Albus’ achievement, though quite surprisingly, there was a twinge of worry in them that the oldest Dumbledore never thought he’d ever find in the blond’s eyes. Aberforth, on the other hand, had turned red in the face as he took quick deep breaths, no doubt trying his best to control his infamous temper. It was more for Ariana’s sake though, and Albus appreciated it so much, he didn’t even mind it when Aberforth glared at him murderously. There was an incredible amount of worry in his brother’s blue eyes, and Albus understood already the reason for Aberforth’s rage.</p><p> </p><p>“Please tell me you’re not experimenting on our sister,” Aberforth hissed out, his whole body trembling in barely repressed anger. “Because that’s a new low for you, <em>brother.</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course, he did,” Ariana answered before Albus could, rolling her eyes in an eerie reminiscent of their Aunt Honoria. “If he hadn’t, how else would I be able to control it, Abe?”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“But that’s dangerous – “</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“<em>Everything</em> about me is dangerous,” the blonde replied flatly. There was a slight tremor in her voice, and everyone knew that she still felt guilty that she’d accidentally killed their mother. Albus couldn’t stop himself from glaring at Aberforth, who at least had the decency to look ashamed. “I know that, brother. You and everyone else have tried their best to shield me from the world, but it doesn’t change the fact that I’m <em>not </em>a child anymore. I’m <em>sixteen, </em>for Merlin’s sake. So stop treating me like the child I don’t think I ever was.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ariana—“</p><p> </p><p>“I knew what I was risking when I agreed to Albus’ offer for help. I knew that I could have killed him<em>.</em> But you see, that never happen. So, <em>please, </em>let’s focus on the bright side, Abe. I’m <em>here</em>, out and about like a normal person, welcoming you and Gellert home.”</p><p> </p><p>Aberforth looked like he was about to argue, and for a second, judging from the way he opened and closed his mouth, Albus thought he would. But then he changed his mind, and gave them a small nod, flashing Ariana a small smile. The blonde beamed like the beautiful angel she was, and practically jumped on Aberforth so she could hug him. It was several seconds later before she reached back toward Albus and Gellert with one arm, wordlessly asking them to join the hug. Sharing a look with his friend, Albus knew that he had no choice but to oblige to Ariana’s request, so with his own arm around Gellert to make sure the blond didn’t sneak away, he wrapped his other arm around Aberforth and Ariana, and hugged his siblings.</p><p> </p><p>“This is bloody ridiculous,” Gellert muttered, his voice a little muffled with his face pressed against Ariana’s neck.</p><p> </p><p>“Shut up, Grindy; you’re ruining the moment,” Aberforth snapped, voice just as muffled as he buried his face deeper into Ariana’s hair. The comment would have made Albus laugh if he wasn’t too busy trying to stop his tears from falling.</p><p> </p><p>When they pulled apart, Aberforth’s face looked suspiciously wet, but he hid it well and quickly dragged Ariana to the Apparition point, nodding every once in a while as his little sister talked about a mile a minute of all she and Albus had done in their efforts to control her Obscurus, a gentle smile on his face. Albus watched the interaction fondly with his own smile playing in his lips before he turned his attention on Gellert. He found the blond had been looking at Aberforth and Ariana too, and there was a wistful look on his face. When he averted his gaze to look at Albus, there was a genuinely contented smile on his beautiful face, and Albus thought he’d fallen in love all over again for his beloved friend. He gave out his hand to Gellert, who took it and held it firmly in his own as they went to follow the two Dumbledore siblings.</p><p> </p><p>“So, this is how it feels,” Gellert said softly when they’d Apparated back to Godric’s Hollow.</p><p> </p><p>“This is how what feels?” Albus asked in return. He was caught off guard when Gellert leaned forward toward in him, and pressed a swift kiss on his lips.</p><p> </p><p>“This is how it feels to have a <em>loving</em> family,” Gellert whispered against Albus’ lips. He had one hand curled around the back of Albus neck when he continued to speak. “I didn’t know it was possible before, but this is the happiest I’ve ever been. And I have no doubt that even finding the Hallows could <em>ever </em>feel better than this.”</p><p> </p><p>“Gellert,” Albus said, his heart beating fast against his ribs with all the hope he felt. “Do you… I mean, are you saying what I think you’re saying?”</p><p> </p><p>Gellert smiled and gave Albus another kiss. “Yes. I am <em>staying, </em>Albus. I’m staying, because there’s not place I’d rather be than here, with you and your siblings. So, <em>thank you, </em>darling, for sharing your family with me.”</p><p> </p><p>Albus was in a daze by the time Gellert pulled back, who looked uncharacteristically shy as he led Albus into the house. If Ariana and Aberforth knew what had happened, the both of them did a remarkable job to pretend like they didn’t. Albus could care less though. As he slipped his fingers between Gellert’s and pulled his hand under the table, he knew that he wouldn’t care if the end of the world was to happen right then and there. With his <em>family, </em>the end of the world could come knocking at his door, and Albus would welcome it with opened arms.</p><p> </p><p>Albus was the luckiest and happiest man <em>ever</em>, and if he was to die at that moment, then so be it.</p><hr/><p>His name was Morgan Jameson, and Albus wasn't quite sure what to do with him<em>.</em></p><p> </p><p>“You’ll hide the body, won’t you?”</p><p> </p><p>“Sure. As long as you make his death painful.”</p><p> </p><p>“Consider it done.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, for Merlin’s sake; you’re <em>not </em>killing the boy, Gellert!”</p><p> </p><p>“How hypocritical of you, brother. You hate him just as much as we do.”</p><p> </p><p>“Quiet, Abe. At least I’m not the one who’s planning a murder.”</p><p> </p><p>“Your <em>lover’s </em>planning the murder. I’m only going to hide the boy’s stinking corpse.”</p><p> </p><p>“I repeat, no one’s killing Jameson—“</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Gods, he’s holding Ariana’s hand again!</em> Aberforth, quick! Get me my wand so I can ki—“</p><p> </p><p>“If you finish that sentence, Gellert, I’m locking you out of the house.”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Albus!”</em></p><p> </p><p>“Hahaha, trouble in paradise, Grindy?”</p><p> </p><p>“You too, Aberforth. So, you better shut up.”</p><p> </p><p>Both Aberforth and Gellert glared at him, but fortunately, they kept quiet. Albus fought hard to contain his grin when Aberforth stomped his way to the terrace, obviously so he could watch their sister’s interaction with the young man that was their new neighbour. Gellert’s annoyance was much more subtle, but after almost four years, Albus could tell that the blond was angry judging from the way he excused himself to do his reports. Everyone knew that Gellert <em>hated </em>doing his Auror reports. He thought it was incredibly degrading to his superior skills, and in the end, instead of doing his work, he’d be doing <em>Albus’ </em>work, finding it to be more enjoyable for him to plan the curriculum for Albus’ Transfiguration class even though the blond always passionately claimed to hate school. Thus, it would be left to Albus to do Gellert’s report, who was always up to date on everything that had happened in each of Gellert’s mission, thanks to the blond inability to keep things from Albus.</p><p> </p><p>It was six years since Aberforth and Gellert graduated from Hogwarts. Aberforth was offered to work as a Curse-Breaker for Gringotts, what with his good grades in Charms. But Aberforth, who also had slightly better grades in Potions and Herbology, decided that he would rather make medicinal herbs and sell them. Albus was originally against the idea, thinking that his brother was wasting his skills doing something he considered to be <em>mediocre.</em> It was actually Gellert who convinced Albus to let Aberforth do what he wanted. When Ariana gave in her support for her brother, saying that it would be a good outlet for her to train her control if she were to be Aberforth’s assisstant, Albus had no choice but to relent. Gellert’s support was the final thing they needed to thaw out Aberforth’s heart, and even though they would deny it vehemently, both Gellert and Aberforth was slowly becoming really good friends.</p><p> </p><p>Much like Albus, Gellert’s grades consisted of all O’s. He was offered all kinds of jobs, even more than what Albus had gotten back when he was freshly graduated. Albus had thought that Gellert would have prefered something like a Curse-Breaker job, what with the blond’s tendency to lean toward the Dark Side. Hence why it surprised the redhead greatly when Gellert shyly admitted that he wanted to be an Auror. At first, Albus was hesitant to let Gellert apply to become an Auror, knowing that being in the Ministry was a step closer to the ultimate power Gellert used to dream of—and they both knew power was their weakness. But just like Gellert had supported him, Aberforth supported Gellert in return. It didn’t help that Ariana was giving Albus The Look for once again denying someone else’s dream. So, like it had always been since he stepped between his brother’s and lover’s wands, Albus took a leap of faith.</p><p> </p><p>Just about a month after Gellert sent in his application to become an Auror, a couple weeks after Aberforth did his research and planning for his shop, Headmaster Dippet offered Albus the position of a Transfiguration teacher to replace the previous one, who retired at the old age of ninety-seven. With his experience training Ariana, Albus knew he probably could be a decent teacher. He really enjoyed demonstrating things to his sister, and even more when he saw the happiness in his sister’s face when Ariana achieved something really great. But he didn’t immediately accept, like he would have had back when his mother was still around. If he accepted the good Headmaster’s offer, that would mean he was leaving his siblings for a long period of time—and Albus didn’t think they were ready for that. Oh, he trusted that they were more than able to take care of each other. It was <em>himself </em>that he didn’t trust. By then, it had been over three years since the last time he lived away from his siblings. Again though, like before, his siblings and Gellert ganged up on him and ‘forced’ him to take the offer. Thus, with his siblings and lover hovering around him, Albus wrote his reply in the affirmative to Headmaster Dippet, saying that he would come to teach Transfiguration once the new school year began.</p><p> </p><p>Fortunately for all of them, Headmaster Dippet seemed to know and understand Albus’ initial hesitation. The next time he wrote to Albus, sending in the details of his class, there was also a cut-out advertisement about a house in Hogsmeade that was put up on sale for a relatively agreeable price. It was smaller than the house in Godric’s Hollow, but it was still big enough with a garage that Aberforth could use for his shop. There were four rooms, but after the relentless teasing from Aberforth and Ariana about the fact that Gellert hardly ever slept <em>not </em>in Albus’ room, the blond grudgingly gave up the room for Aberforth to use as an extra storage. With that settled, just a month before the start of the new school year and Gellert’s Auror training, the four of them moved to Hogsmeade to start a new chapter of their life, but not without promosing dear old Bathilda that they’d come over to visit her every Christmas.</p><p> </p><p>Albus thought it would be hard for him to say goodbye to the house in Godric’s Hollow, and even harder to settle down in Hogsmeade. But it turned out, it took him and his family only two weeks to get used to their new environment. After Aberforth’s shop was established and Albus paid what little money they had left to advertise it, it didn’t take him long to have his first customer. It was none other than Headmaster Dippet himself, who had come asking for a remedy for his bad back. Obviously, the old man originally came for Albus. But when his back stop aching, and his joints felt rejuvenated in a way they hadn’t been for decades, that was when the stream of customers came. It started with other teachers, then the students, and then their neighbours, and it went on until a Minister officer who was an old friend of Headmaster Dippet came to buy from Aberforth too. In only a year, the whole wizarding Britain had known about Aberforth’s shop, which he named <em>Dumbledore’s Hut</em>. Albus was beaming in pride whenever Aberforth or Ariana came over to Hogwarts to tell him about the shop’s progress, happy for their success.</p><p> </p><p>Gellert’s training went by smoothly, and not only he passed as the best in his class, it only took him a year instead of the usual two years that most had. His first assignment was to arrest a group of anti-Muggles in Blackpool that had been capturing Muggles and torturing them for sport. In all the six months Gellert was away, Albus spent every single second he had worrying over the fact that his lover was away in a dangerous mission. As a result, the young professor was having troubles with sleeping. It got so bad that even his colleagues realised how he wasn’t faring well with Gellert’s absence, that one of them, a sneaky yet kind man named Horace Slughorn, asked Ariana to slip in some Sleeping Potion into Albus’ drink the next time she visited. Ariana swore up and down that she only gave a little, that it was because Albus’ physique had weakened greatly that he ended up unconcious for thirty hours. Everyone was understanding though, even his students because in a short amount of time, Albus had become everyone’s favourite.</p><p> </p><p>When he woke up almost two days later on a Saturday morning, Albus felt like yelling at his siblings for their audacity. Fortunately for everyone, the first thing Albus saw when he marched into their house was Gellert sitting in the living room, a little bit bruised up and scarred, but <em>alive.</em> The redhead forgot his initial anger and immediately dragged his lover into his room to ‘celebrate’. His siblings were happy for him, but when the first sound of what they were doing in Albus’ room began to slip out after the Imperturbable Charm expired, Aberforth decided that he <em>had </em>to go, leaving an exasperated Ariana all alone. With her oldest brother and honorary brother preoccupied in their room, the blonde decided that the best way to entertain herself was to tidy things up and do a bit of cleaning at the shop.</p><p> </p><p>That was when she first met Morgan Jameson. He was a year older than Ariana, a Prefect who was Hogwarts’ Head Boy at the the time, the Seeker as well as the Captain for the Ravenclaw’s Quidditch team, <em>and </em>the best student in his year with a total of ten NEWTs classes taken.</p><p> </p><p>He was every mother’s dream son-in-law for their daughters, yet a total obnoxious <em>prat</em> in Albus’, Aberforth’s and Gellert’s eyes.</p><p> </p><p>In the beginning, none of the men in the Dumbledore household knew about the younger wizard who had been romancing their Ariana. Albus was too busy teaching and grading his students, Aberforth was too busy coming up with new and better potions, and Gellert was too busy with his Auror duties. After that first time Morgan came to buy a potion for his cold, he would spend every Hogsmeade visit to come to the Hut to see Ariana, and each time Aberforth always happened to be away. Albus had no idea how exactly the <em>boy </em>managed to get Ariana out of her shell, and to get her to agree to go out with him—for his sister always refused to tell him. All he knew was, the year Morgan graduated from Hogwarts, from where he was sitting with the rest of his colleagues, Albus saw the shocking sight of his recluse of a sister came running toward his recently graduated student, jumping into his readily opened arms, before the two of them was engaged in a heated kiss.</p><p> </p><p>Morgan Jameson went from being one of Albus’ favourite students, and ended up becoming someone Albus fought really hard <em>not </em>to hex.</p><p> </p><p>It wasn’t as if he was ill-mannered. No, he was the complete opposite. Morgan Jameson was quite possibly the most polite and gentlemanly person Albus had ever met. The first time Ariana properly introduced the green-eyed brunet to her brothers and Gellert, Morgan was nothing but the perfect young man who was seeking for the approval from the family of the girl he loved. All three men of the Dumbledore household interrogated Morgan rather viciously, and except for the restlessness in the way he sat, which was more than understandable, the younger wizard held on quite nicely. It was probably why the three men disliked Morgan so much. If he was a horrible person, it would be easy for them to pick apart his flaws and tell Ariana to stay away from him. But he was <em>such </em>a good person, that even after six years, they still couldn’t find a condemning flaw in him. He truly cared for Ariana, even when the lovely blonde finally revealed her Obscurus. Instead of looking terrified that the love of his life harboured a Darkness inside her, Morgan looked like he’d fallen for Ariana all over again. In the end, Albus knew that he had to accept Morgan, and that he had to convince his brother and Gellert to accept Morgan too.</p><p> </p><p>“Look at them!” Gellert’s voice brought Albus out of his reverie. About an hour had passed since the blond left to work on his report, and it amused Albus that he’d found his lover in the kitchen, spying on Ariana and Morgan from the window with murder in his eyes. “Goodness, what <em>did </em>she see from that insolent boy?”</p><p> </p><p>“Firstly, you’re only a year older than him, Gellert,” Albus quipped as he poured himself and Gellert a cup of tea. “That’ll make him around twenty-three, hardly a boy anymore. Secondly, even you must admit that Morgan’s <em>quite </em>the attractive young lad.”</p><p> </p><p>Gellert turned his attention from the window and rolled his eyes at Albus. “Darling, we both know that I only have my eyes on you. No one, and I repeat, <em>no one, </em>can compare to you. Not with your stunning cerulean eyes and luscious red locks.”</p><p> </p><p>Even with the annoyance in his tone, Gellert’s compliments still made Albus blush. Pulling the blond onto his lap, Albus kissed him deeply before pulling apart to speak. “We’ve been together for almost eight years now, and you still make me swoon with your words, you silver-tongued fiend.”</p><p> </p><p>“Glad to hear that I can still make you swoon, Al,” Gellert chuckled, leaning forward to give the young professor another kiss before he continued. “I love it when you blush, you know? With your pale skin and angular features, plus your eyes and hair, you look even lovelier. It should be a sin how good you look with a blush.”</p><p> </p><p>“Aren’t you one to talk… You, with your golden curls and those blue eyes that take my breath away. Do you know that when we first met, when your dearest great aunt introduced us, I thought you looked like angel. You are <em>so </em>beautiful.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, look at that. I’m starting to rub off on you after all these years.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, you wicked man. You’re a horrible influence, you know? You corrupt me.”</p><p> </p><p>Gellert cocked an eyebrow at Albus’ remark. “Is that so? It’s not as if you didn’t <em>enjoy </em>it, though. Hmm… I wonder what your students would say if they ever found how you are with me.”</p><p> </p><p>Albus, if possible, blushed even harder. “You’re incorrigible, Gellert. It’s a wonder that I love you so.”</p><p> </p><p>The moment the words left his mouth, both wizards froze in shock. Even though they’d been together for years, none of them had ever said <em>that </em>word to each other before. Albus had always known that he’d fallen for Gellert hard and fast that first time he met the blond. But he’d never said it to Gellert because he was <em>afraid. </em>Albus was afraid that if he told Gellert, the blond would panic and leave him. It felt like hours passed as two pairs of blue eyes looked deeply into each other, and Albus thought his ribs would break from how hard his heart was beating against them. When he felt rather than saw Gellert’s hands cupping his face, his breath caught in his throat as he waited for what his lover would say.</p><p> </p><p>“When I first saw you,” Gellert began with a soft voice, barely audible. “I didn’t think you’d even <em>like </em>me. You were so perfect, you know. You always have. It didn’t help that Aunt Bathy always spoke so highly of you before she finally introduced us to each other. And the moment I laid my eyes on you, so beautiful and so perfect in front of me, I felt like crying. I wanted to cry because someone like you would <em>never </em>waste their time with someone like me, someone who managed to get expelled from a school that condoned and even encouraged the Dark Arts.”</p><p> </p><p>“Gellert—“</p><p> </p><p>“But you proved me wrong,” the blond continued, not allowing Albus to interrupt him. “You were <em>nice </em>to me. So kind, so good, so gentle, so <em>perfect.</em> No one was ever that good to me before, ever. Not even my parents. Aunt Bathy was the first person who showed me kindness. But even then, I knew she only welcome me into her home because she owed my father for paying for her research a long time ago. Until you, I had never known that kindness could be given gratuitously. Of course, there was your incredibly bright intelligence that attracted me, and your dashing good looks. But it was your heart that bewitched me. And because of it, I wanted to be <em>good </em>for you, Albus. You changed me. You made me a better person.”</p><p> </p><p>“Gellert, please – “</p><p> </p><p>“You told me I looked like an angel when you first saw me. My love, you <em>are </em>angel an for me. You always have been, since the first time we met. Everyone knows that I don’t deserve you, that you’re better off without me. But let me love you, Al. Let me love you, <em>please.</em> Before you, my purpose in life was to conquer the world and make everyone bow down to me. Before you, I would be satisfied with having followers instead of friends and family. But now, all I want is to have you with me forever, with your lovely sister and even your stupid brother—because I know better now. Love is, and will always be, the greatest power in the world. You showed me that, Al. You and your siblings did, when you welcomed me into your family. I don’t need the whole world all to myself as long as I have our <em>own </em>little world to share with you and your siblings. I love you, and as crazy as this sounds, I love your siblings too. And that’s more than enough—‘</p><p> </p><p>Albus couldn’t stop himself. He just <em>had </em>to kiss Gellert. He had to kiss the blond, and felt all the love that spilled out of his wonderful lips. Albus had to kiss his lover so he could show Gellert that yes, he was more than allowed to love Albus, and that yes, Albus loved him too. <em>So, so much.</em> The young professor had no idea how long exactly did he spend to <em>show </em>Gellert his love, and he knew if it weren’t for his siblings and Morgan coming into the room, Albus might forget himself and take things further right then and there in the kitchen. He’d done it in the past, of course, when neither of his siblings were home. But they didn’t have to know that, so…<em>yeah.</em></p><p> </p><p>“Get a room, you two horny love birds!<em>”</em> Aberforth exclaimed loudly as he entered the house, Ariana and Morgan tailing behind him. “You’re corrupting our poor, innocent minds.”</p><p> </p><p>“One of these days, Aberforth, I’m going to hex you,” Gellert growled out, throwing an apple in Aberforth’s way, which the younger Dumbledore avoided with a practised ease.</p><p> </p><p>“Abe’s right though, Gellert,” Ariana said with a smirk on her pretty face. “It’s pretty hypocritical of you to hate on my relationship with Morgan, if you’re just going to have sex with my brother in broad daylight in the kitchen.”</p><p> </p><p>It was Gellert’s turn to smirk, and Albus instantly had a bad feeling about it. “Gellert—“</p><p> </p><p>“Firstly, you’re like a sister to me already, Ari. Please forgive me if I get a bit too over-protective. Secondly, who’s to say that Albus and I haven’t done it in the kitchen before?”</p><p> </p><p>Aberforth and Ariana focused on two different things from what Gellert had said.</p><p> </p><p><em>“You consider me as your sister?” </em>Ariana exclaimed happily at the same time Aberforth angrily yelled, “<em>You had sex with my brother in the kitchen?”</em></p><p> </p><p>So much for keeping what he and his lover had done from his siblings.</p><p> </p><p><em>“Gellert!” </em>Albus groaned, burying his face in the crook of the blond’s neck. “I can’t believe you just told them <em>that! </em>If Aberforth didn’t kill us, I’d kill you myself.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, don’t worry about Albie,” Ariana quickly said as she attacked Gellert with a hug. “As long as you two convince this stubborn arse to let Morgan marry me, I’ll make sure you two are alive at least until I’ve given birth to our <em>fifth </em>child.”</p><p> </p><p>Everyone fell into an abrupt silence.</p><p> </p><p>Until—</p><p> </p><p>“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, ARI?”</p><p> </p><p>As Albus watched his siblings and his lover bickered loudly, forgetting his and Morgan’s presences, the young professor decided to take a pity on his former student. Beckoning the younger man to come toward him, Albus offered him a fresh cup of tea, to which Morgan accepted gratefully. “Thank you, professor.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s been five years since I last taught you, Morgan,” Albus said with a smile. “You can call me Albus. I don’t mind. Especially if you really are going to join the family.”</p><p> </p><p>Morgan glanced at Ariana, who was still yelling at Aberforth and Gellert. Swallowing heavily, he said, “I’m sorry to spring this on all of you so suddenly. Honestly, I wouldn’t have asked Ariana to marry me until I’ve asked your permission first. But, Ariana asked me out of the blue, and your brother overheard it. That’s why he dragged us in, to tell you about it.”</p><p> </p><p>“And then you found me and Gellert in a rather compromising position,” Albus sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Well, until those three have calmed down, we have no choice but to wait for them if we want to discuss this. And knowing them, it could be <em>hours.”</em></p><p> </p><p>“It’s fine, prof– I mean, Albus. I can wait.”</p><p> </p><p>Albus smiled. “That’s so kind of you. And I suppose, after knowing you for almost four years, you’re not so bad after all. I can see that you that you truly care about Ariana.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, thank you very much—“</p><p> </p><p>“But, if you hurt her,” Albus interjected, his tone taking a dangerous edge as he glared at Morgan threateningly. “If you so much pull <em>one</em> strand of her hair, you best hope you’d never been born, <em>Jameson, </em>for I will personally kill you. And mark my words, it’ll be <em>painful.</em>”</p><p> </p><p>Morgan gulped as he nodded his head frantically. “Y-yes, sir. I-I understand. I do love her though. And I promise, I’ll do right by her.”</p><p> </p><p>As if there was a switch, Albus gave the younger wizard a warm smile as he clapped his hand on Morgan’s back. “That’s great to hear. Now, come on. Take your tea and follow me. We’ll wait for these three in the living room, and you can tell me all about your Healer training.”</p><p> </p><p>Walking passed the bickering trio with his former student beside him, Albus took a chance to steal a glance at his lover. Even while arguing with Ariana rather heatedly, Gellert still managed to sneak a wink at Albus, which the redhead replied with a grin.</p><p> </p><p>The Auror was right. There was no need for the whole world.</p><p> </p><p>Not when his little world with his loved ones in it was more than enough.</p>
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